Safety bank door



May 29, 1934. EARL 1,960,578

SAFETY BANK DOOR Filed NOV. 15, 1930 I In vmmn Dir/'1) G. [m4 7 I TTOHAQFX Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFIGE This invention relates to a safety bank door. through which employees enter the bank whencoming to work .in the. morning, and before customers arrive.

55;: An object of my invention is. to provide a bank door for employees in which there isroom for only one person at a time, thus precluding the possibility of a robber entering the bank with the-employee.

101:; Another object is to provide a bank door which can only be opened on a code signal to some point remote from the bank.

Still another object is to provide a door which is simple and sturdy in .construction so that it ;51cannot be readily brokenthrough.

Other objects, advantages, and features of invention may ,appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description, and the appended claims.

- In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my door.

Figure 2 .is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view of .theinner door locking arrangement.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of thedoor ratchet and telephone.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectionalview of one corner of the door.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

my bank door comprises a pair of panels 1--2 which arepositioned ninety degrees to each other,

and thesepanelsare securedto a vertical-post 3 by means of which'said panels are pivotally' mounted. The post 3 is suitably journaled in.

A pair of inner panels 4--5 form the closure to the inside of .the building and these panels are mounted on a vertical shaft 6 which shaft is journaled in the frame of the building in the same manner as the post 3. As previously stated, the panels 1--2 are latched by an ordinary lock accessible from the outside, but the inner panels 4-5 are latched by a mechanism controllable from a point remote from the bank.

The panels l245 form a rectangular vestibule or entryway which is just large enough for one man to stand in. As will be subsequently described, two people could not enter into the vestibule and close the doors as required. The panels 1--2 swing together as do also the panels 4-5, and these panels swing in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure l. i A ceiling (not shown) covers the entryway and a floor. 7 is provided at the bottom. The post 3 extends through the floor 7 into a compartment 8.. An arm 9 is secured to the post 3 withinthe compartment 8. A. dog 10 iis pivotally mounted on the end of the arm 9, and this dog-co-operate's .withflratchets llto' hold the. panels1-2 against opening once said panels" have been closed.

Aishaft. 12 extends into. the compartment 8 from the. inside of the bank and is providedwith a handle .13 to rotate the same. Pins 14 on the shaft are adapted to engage the dog 10" to swing the same on its pivot. Before leaving the bank. at night, the dog 10 is swung back on its pivotsothat it will 'drag over theratchet 11. Thus the employees comingtothe bankin' the morning unlock. the panel 1, swings the panel outwardly and enters the vestibule or entryway.v In ordertoenter, itis necessary .thatithe panels 12 be returned to their closed position as shown in Figure 1, and in doing some ratchet is re-' turned to theposition shown in Figure 3 and the panel 1 cannot be again opened to permit the employee to pass out of the entryway.

The only way in which he can be released is to give the code, as.will be subsequently described,

and enter the bank, or a fellow employee on the inside of the bank can swing the dog'out of operative position'and allow him'to thusopenthe panel 1. However, with no one in the bank there is only one exit from the entryway, and'that is intothe bank. 1

A telephone conduit 15 is positioned in the compartment 8 and extends along the arm-9 to a switch 16. 1 When the panels 12 are in closed" position, i. e., as in FigureLthe switch is closed and the telephone 17 maybe operated. The telephone 17 is on the inside of the bank and is: not accessible from the. entryway-except that a person may talk into the same. A receiver hook 18 extends through the wall of the entryway and is lifted when it is desired to talk into the telephone 17. A hole 19 extends to the telephone to permit the occupant of the entryway to speak into the telephone.

Once a man has entered as previously stated, he lifts the receiver hook l8 and calls a code number, sentence, or the like into the telephone. The telephone extends to the police station, or the like, and after the code has been heard, the telephone 1'7 is rung. This causes the lock shaft 20 to be released and swings the latches 2121 out of engagement with catches 2222 which are secured to, or may be an integral part of the panel 4. Thus when the telephone 17 is rung back, the

not swing unless the panels 12 were closed.

The telephone 17 is mounted on one of the stationary frame members or posts 23, and may be suitably protected against tampering.

The panels l--2-45 fit into stationary corner posts 2324 so as to limit the inward swing of the panels. This arrangement is shown in Figures 3 and 4. Also to prevent unauthorized tampering with the telephone 1'7, a carborundum plate 25 may be placed between the telephone and the post 23.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A safety bank door adapted to be mounted in an opening to a bank, comprising two pairs of panels, each pair of panels being arranged at substantially 90 degrees, means pivotally mounting each pair of panels, said pairs of panels being so adapted and arranged to form a substantially rectangular enclosure, lock means for the inner pair of panels, said lock means being controllable from a remote point whereby admission is gained into the bank.

2. A safety bank door adapted to be mounted in an opening to a bank, comprising an outer pair of panels and an inner pair of panels, both of said pairs being arranged at substantially right angles to each other, means pivotally mounting each pair of panels, said panels being so adapted and arranged that a substantially rectangular enclosure is formed, ratchet means holding the outer pair of panels in closed position, lock means on the inner pair of panels and means to release .said lock means from a remote point whereby admission is gained into the bank.

3. A safety bank door comprising an outer pair of panels and an inner pair of panels forming a closure, both of said pairs being arranged at subb stantially right angles to each other, means pivotally mounting each pair of panels, ratchet means holding the outer pair of panels in closed position, a telephone system, one telephone being within the closure, lock means on the inner pair -of panels, operative means extending from the telephone within the closure to said lock means whereby said lock means is released when the telephone is rung, from a remote point.

4. A safety bank door comprising an outer pair of panels and an inner pair of panels forming a closure, both of said pairs being arranged at substantially right angles to each other, means pivotally mounting each pair of panels, ratchet means holding the outer pair of panels in closed position, a telephone system, one telephone being within the closure, lock means on the inner pair of panels, operative means extending from the telephone within the closure to said lock means whereby said lock means is released when the telephone is rung from a remote point, switch means on the outer pair of panels, said switch means controlling the telephone whereby said telephone is only operative when the outer pair of panels is closed.

5. A safety bank door comprising an outer pair of panels and an inner pair of panels, said panels co-operating to form an entryway, means pivotally mounting each pair of panels, a ratchet arm secured to the outer pair of panels, a dog pivotally mounted on the ratchet arm, a ratchet engageable by the dog whereby said outer pair of panels is held against movement, release means extending to said dog from the inside, a telephone system, one telephone being within the entryway, lock means for the inner pair of panels, and releasing means extending from the telephone to said lock means whereby said lock means is operated when the telephone is rung, from a remote point.

6. A safety bank door comprising an outer pair of panels and an inner pair of panels, said panels co-operating to form an entryway, means pivotally mounting each pair of panels, a ratchet arm secured to the outer pair of panels, a dog pivotally mounted on the ratchet arm, a ratchet engageable by the dog whereby said outer pair of panels is held against movement, release means extending to said dog from the inside, a telephone system, one telephone being within the entryway, look means for the inner pair of panels, and releasing means extending from the telephone to said lock means whereby said lock means is operated when the telephone is rung from a remote point, and telephone switch means on said outer pair of panels whereby said telephone is operative only when said outer pair of panels is closed.

7. A safety bank door adapted to be mounted in an opening to a bank, comprising two pairs of panels, each pair being arranged at substantially 90 degrees, means pivotally mounting each pair of panels, said panels being so mounted and arranged as to form an enclosure, the enclosure being large enough for only one person to stand within, lock means for the inner pair of panels, said lock means being controllable from a remote point.

DAVID G. EARL. 

